Applied XML Programming for Microsoft® .NET

Chapter 10. Stateful Data Serialization

The DataSet object is designed with data disconnection in mind and with the assumption that optimistic concurrency is the default. In a multiple-user environment, optimistic concurrency occurs when applications do not lock a row while reading it. In contrast, a pessimistic form of concurrency involves locking rows at the data source to prevent users from modifying data in a way that affects other users. The DataSet object abstracts from the physical data source and qualifies itself as a superarray component capable of containing in-memory data.

As a container of disconnected data, the DataSet object accepts any sort of update to the rows it contains, so you can add new rows to any child tables, and you ...